Liberators
by Thanlok
Summary: (AU) Jaune Arc. A regular teen in hopes of starting college at Beacon Academy. The people of Vale, living life at its fullest, but little did people know that a mysterious organization would soon dominate over Vale. (Will be rewritten)
1. Chapter 1

**Welp. Hello to all of you that decided to read this. I am completely new to all of this and I hope that I'm doing okay as a novice writer. Now, before we start getting into the story I just wanted to say thank you for choosing to read this story despite it being short. Depending on the views and follows, I will continue to work on the story. If you think I'm going to fast or slow just let me know. I want to be able to improve. Man I'm getting anxious. Well enough about that, I hope that you enjoy the story.**

* * *

Chapter 1

"READY." Yelled one of the soldiers with his arm raised high in the air.

I stood there, tied around a vertical placed piece of wood. Crucified. Blood dripped from the top of my head, slowly making its way down to my chin dripping into the mud. Rain splashing around my body and feet. My bangs covering most of my face that has been beaten over and over. I slightly looked up to see a line of soldiers with their guns in their hands. I looked to my left and right to see more people crucified in place. I looked higher in hopes of seeing the broken moon once more but alas could not.

"PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU!" screamed the man next to me. His voice was drowned out by the heavy rain that poured over our lacerated bodies. Not like what he was saying going to do much.

"AIM." As soon as the words escaped his lips, all of his men drew their weapons and aimed them at us.

'Is this how I really die? My whole life I was bullied and judged, even by my own damn family?' I thought.

Who knew that life can screw you over in so many ways even when you don't deserve it.

This is it. This is how my life ends. Didn't even get the chance to start college. Graduating was one of the best things of my life. Too bad I couldn't live long enough to get a girlfriend too. Hehe.

A small chuckle escaped my lips. I then closed my eyes and awaited my fate. The sound of the rain was the only thing heard in the area. The night only added more sadness into the atmosphere.

[Silence]

The man brought down his arm in one swift motion.

"FIRE."

*BANG*

* * *

_Vale, North District. Time: 8:15 a.m. (2 Days Until Disaster)_

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *SLAM*

"Ugh, I don't want to go to school anymore," I groaned from under my sheets. I drew back my fist from the top of my clock and dragged my hand over my face. I slowly got up and looked around my room. A few posters of X-Ray and Vav on the walls. Clothes littered on the ground with a few comics. I slowly walked up and made my way to the desk across my room and reached over to grab the blinds.

"Welp, here we go," I said with a deadpan stare. I then opened the blinds.

"AH, MY EYES!" I yelled as I attempted to cover my face with my hands. I back stepped and fell over my bed.

'I knew I shouldn't have played all of those video games last night' I thought.

Before I can even get up, my door opened and welcomed a new visitor.

"Hey loser," said the girl with blond hair and blue eyes. She wore a regular red dress shirt with blue jeans and light brown heels.

"Amber," I greeted her without a care in the world. I got up from by bed again and walked to the door.

"Geez, what a way to greet your sister," she replied with half lidded eyes.

"Could say the same to you… deal with it," I replied lamely.

"Whatever, mom is looking for you. She wanted to ask you something, but i'm pretty sure its about your career choice again," she said as she walked and made her way down stairs.

'God damn it,' I thought to myself. I started to dress myself but before I started putting any clothes on, I looked to the mirror on my closet and looked at myself.

'Tall and scraggly,' I thought. 'Man, if only I was more built…' I let out a tired sigh and continued to dress up.

Black hoodie. Check. Jeans. Check. Backpack. Check. Shoes. Check. "Let's see here, what else is missing," I questioned myself.

After making sure I had everything I made my way down stairs quietly. I can hear the dishes being washed in the kitchen as I slowly make my way to the door. I then opened the door to wa-

"Going somewhere?" Questioned a voice behind me.

"Damn it… so close," I whispered to myself. "Yeah, just heading to beacon… don't want to miss first day of class," I finished awkwardly.

Beacon Academy… one of the four best academies known in the world. Took Mistral's place in #1 when the superstar Pyrrha Nikos decided to attend Beacon. Never knew why she chose the school but I'm pretty sure i'll be seeing none of her during the year. Especially with her… friends.

But the most important thing at the moment was getting out of this situation.

Juniper Arc. Mother to seven and wife to one of the best officers in Vale, Nicholas Arc. Very loving woman and caring mother was all I needed to describe her. But… also the reason I am hardly moving forward.

"So?" She asked waiting for a response.

"So what," I questioned innocently as I had my hand on the doorknob.

"What did you end up choosing as your major… remember, we had this talk already," Juniper said with her arms on her hips.

"I-It's Business… yeah, I remember changing it the day after we spoke about it," I said trying to sound firm but nothing goes unnoticed from a mother.

She looked at me with a raised brow, "It's still Art isn't it," she said with a long sigh at the end.

"Jaune, we told you that Art isn't a job, it's a… hobby. I know it is something you want, but why not choose a career that makes money and do art on the side. That sounds like a better future than being an Art major," she said while waving her arms around.

I let out a tired sigh and looked at her, "Mom you know that there isn't anything else I like… im terrible at most of the things you listed last time and Art just comes naturally to me," I reasoned.

"Jaune, please understand. We are trying to make sure that you have a better future, I mean look at Saph… she owns her own corporation in Medical research, Hazel became an Aerospace engineer, Coral managed to become an entrepreneur and publish her own stories on the side," she exclaimed. "You can be like them, if not even better."

"But Art is the only thing where I can be who I am, I'm free to do what I want. Someone can tell to draw a landscape and i'll go above and beyond, there is no telling me what is right or wrong. Your limit is your imagination," I said looking out the door. "And I don't want to talk about this anymore."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "You're going to have to talk to your father, you know that… right?" she questioned. She then walked up to me and with her hands, started to comb my hair. "You know you could've done something with your hair, it look like you just woke up."

"That's because I did," I said trying to pry her hands away.

"Good luck," she said with a smile. She then gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks, I'll be back later," I said walking out the door. I looked back with a smile and waved goodbye to my mother. She returned the gesture and then made her way back into the house with the door closing behind her.

I sighed, "Well… time to move along,"I said as I made my way to the city.

* * *

'When was the last time that I actually visited the city' I thought in my head as I walked through the city. There were people walking around. Faunus greeting each other. Kids playing near the park. A wave of nostalgia hit me as I made my way through the park. 'Almost there.'

In the distance I could see the entrance to the academy. Many students walking in and out of the school. Many familiar faces popped every now and then. I made it to the entrance and looked at the entirety of Beacon Academy.

"Wow," I said with a face of astonishment. The view itself was breathtaking. The cobblestone floor that lead all the way to the entrance of the school. The pillars that made the school even more massive than it already is. It was a beautiful piece of architecture. Nothing could ever ruin this moment. All but one.

"Hey, if it isn't Vomit Boy!?" I heard someone exclaim from behind me.

'Damn it, anyone but her!' I mentally screamed. As I turned I also noticed a flock of beautiful white hair. On the other side was a raven haired beauty with cat ears above her head. But the one that stood out the most was the person in the middle. Long wild, untamed, blonde hair. Her lilac eyes had a hint of amusement as she locked her gaze on me. Her mischievous grin grew as she approached with the others beside her.

Of all the people to run into. It had to be her.

Yang Xiao Long.

* * *

**Well that was the first chapter, I hope for all who read it enjoyed it. It will probably be two more chapters before we get to the good stuff, but for the next chapter, it's going to be more of an introduction to other characters. Oh and another thing in case you are wondering. There is no aura or anything of the RWBY lore. Grimm on the other hand… you'll find out. I'll try and post the next chapter as soon as I can. Oh and lastly, I will be using Courier Al' Aran's OC's for Jaune's family. Until then.**

**Thanlok out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Chapter 2 of Liberators is now in session! A thank you to the people that liked the story and to those who are also following it. Even though the number is very small, I still appreciate it and hope this story grows. Well then, enjoy Chapter 2!**

* * *

'Of all the people!' I mentally screamed. My life couldn't have been more screwed than now. Just when I was having an amazing day. I sighed when I saw her making her way through the crowd of students.

Speaking of crowd

All of them were drooling over the three beauties. Regardless of gender, they just seem to attract everyone in the area. Without a doubt… Yang and her friends at the side are enjoying every bit of attention from the nearby students. Except for one of them... probably.

Yang Xiao Long. A hot headed individual who is overprotective of her younger sister. Ruby, I think was her name? Besides that, she is relentless when it comes to a fight. She can even beat men who have more muscles than her! Not someone I want to mess with, but unluckily enough, I became a personal punching bag after I accidentally threw up on her shoes. Since freshman year of high school.

But whatever, no one cares. Especially those two who are next to her.

Weiss Schnee, a very cold individual. Caught her attention when I tried to play her a song and ask her to be my girlfriend back in high school. Worst mistake I ever made till this day. Ever since then I would always be her verbal punching bag. Yay. One thing that she doesn't know is that I know the reason why she moved to Vale rather than staying in Atlas. Accidentally overheard her in a call with her father. And I thought my family was brutal. Yikes.

Blake Belladonna is a quite individual. Hardly talks to anyone besides Yang and Weiss. She doesn't seem to care of what Yang or Weiss do when it comes to me. She either is too concentrated on her "book," or is just standing there watching as Yang or Weiss tear me apart without a care in the world.

'Can't I just have a normal day where I don't see these people,' I mentally sighed.

"H-hey… there?" I say with uncertainty in my voice.

"Well well well, if it isn't _vomit boy!_" she says as if she is happy to see me. "Knew you would make it to Beacon!"

"I on the other hand am quite surprised, didn't think this _imbecile_ would actually make it past the exams," says Weiss as she inspects her nails.

Yup. This is my life.

"Oh come on Weiss-cream, why so negative," Yang says as she approaches me and brings me down in a headlock. "Isn't that right… _vomit boy?_" Her tone just seemed to drop all hints of cheerfulness and replaced with a cold and uncaring voice. Her eyes also matched her tone.

'God damn it,' I screamed in my head. "Y-yeah, um… I guess," I say trying not to get my ass kicked for the hundredth time. I looked away from her and focused on the floor.

"Yang, we don't have time," interjected the raven haired girl. Her cat ears twitching atop her head indicated she heard something from another student. "I just heard that classes are going to start in a bit," she concluded.

I may not like you one bit, but THANK YOU!

"Alright… I'll see you later _vomit boy_," she said. Before they could leave me alone, Yang decided to leave me with a nice fist to the gut that took out all of my air. Great.

"Ugh, that… is definitely… going to leave a mark," I groaned hunched over as I held my stomach. "Hopefully the classes are better."

* * *

Yup. I officially hate my life. So much. Why you ask?

"Hey _Jauney Boy_, how's my best friend doing?" said a tall ginger haired teen who was one head taller than Jaune.

That's why.

Can't a normal human being just enjoy one day of his life without having to encounter someone he would rather not see. ESPECIALLY IN HIS HISTORY CLASS!

"Cardin, h-how's it going," I said trying not to screw up like previously with Yang.

Cardin grabbed me and put me in a headlock. He was putting more pressure and cutting off a bit of air from going into my lungs. Both my hands were on his forearm trying to at least make sure he wasn't fully choking me.

Yup, this is going exactly like Yang's.

"Well it's going fantastic thanks to you, your papers and exams sure gave me an easy ride to Beacon," he said chuckling while putting a bit more pressure around my neck.

Yup, to avoid getting my ass kicked by Cardin and his lackeys, I had to do his work for his classes. It was just a terrible experience. But hey, I learned more than I needed to so that's a good thing. Right?

"Yup, agh… glad to… help," I tried to say struggling for breath.

Other students looked at us weirdly while others weren't sure if they should get involved to help me. I don't blame them if they don't. Who would want a jackass like Cardin always kicking your ass just for getting in his way?

"Uh oh, looks like the prof is coming," he said as he let me go. "Watch your step," he said and proceeded to put his foot in front of mine and push me from behind. I go stumbling to the ground hard. As my face was planted on the ground, all I could hear was Cardin's laugh.

Yup. Worst day.

* * *

After class I quickly made my way out and headed outside just to clear my thoughts. It hasn't even been half a day and I already have the worst luck.

"Man… what a day," I say to myself. As I walked, I looked to see the huge windows that the cafeteria had. They were huge! Maybe I should get myself something just to get my mind off of things. Sounds like a good idea. My stomach seemed to agree to the idea as I finished the thought.

"Alright, food it is," I say making my way to the cafeteria doors.

While I am making my way to the door, I see people through the window. There were some Faunus which surprised me considering the fact that some people were quite racist. There were some familiar faces like Coco Adel, Velvet Scarlatina, Fox and Yatsuhashi. They were my upperclassmen back in high school before they graduated. Velvet was always nice to me, giving me tips and tricks on how to survive my classes. Coco on the other hand. Let's just say she didn't approve of my clothing "style."

Had to go back home with a shirt ripped to shreds and ripped jeans. No harm done.

Eventually we hung out more and then introduced me to Yatsu and Fox. They really treated me like a friend when most people didn't. When they found out about my problem with Cardin and Yang, they wanted to go ballistic. I convinced them to let me handle this on my own. After an hour of convincing they agreed. But if either Yang or Cardin got out of hand. They would personally deal with them. But they can't be around me all the time. They have things to do in their life.

'I'll probably sit with them,' I mentally concluded. Just when I reached the door and entered. I was met with the sight of a girl with crimson hair and emerald eyes. Pale face and pink lips. Yup. This was none other than Pyrrha Nikos. And alongside her were her friends. Yang, Weiss and Blake. Oh and speaking of more friends.

Tall and lean. Always quiet and speaks when necessary. A strand of hair was highlighted pink while the rest was completely black. Magenta eyes that went well with his highlighted strand of hair. The one and only, Lie Ren.

Next to him, a bubbly and cheerful ginger with ocean blue eyes. Nora Valkyrie. She was pretty small compared to the other girls except for Weiss. I've heard that she was able to go toe to toe with the one and only Yang Xiao Long in a fist fight. Never judge a book by its cover, especially if you do not want to get your ass handed to you by someone smaller than you.

Just like the rest, both of them did not care for whatever happened to me. No biggie. Especially not Pyrrha Nikos. Her fame and recognition got into her head. She may not look like she thinks she's a big shot but looks can be deceiving.

"Sorry, excu-," I tried to say making my way around them before I was interrupted by the little snow devil.

"What is your problem!? Do you have any idea who you just nearly walked onto!?" she yelled with an angry face.

FUCK MY LIFE! I JUST WANTED TO GET FOOD!

"Uh… yeah, Pyrrha Nikos… right?" I replied looking anywhere but the group.

As is turns out, once Pyrrha transferred over to Beacon. She quickly became friends with Yang and the rest. Probably has something to do with their egos I think.

"You know what, I'm not even surprised considering that fact that you have no friends," replied Weiss coldly.

I need to get out of here quick! Come on, think!

"No need to be harsh Weiss," replied the redhead as she looked at me questionably. "I am pretty sure he has some friends?"

Wow. I think my confidence just dropped a lot more than usual.

"Yup, he has me, right _vomit boy_!" Yang said while pointing at herself.

Fuck me. I see that Blake as usual, uninterested. Nora was too busy talking with Ren about sloths making… pancakes?

"I gue-," I was immediately yanked down as an arm came over my shoulder and then around my neck before I can even say anything.

"Hey there Jaune, how's it been? I haven't seen you since last year. You know you could've called sometime you know?" replied a familiar individual.

That voice.

The sunglasses were a dead giveaway as I knew only one person that would wear sunglasses despite the time of day, inside or outside. Coco Adel.

YES! MY ONE AND ONLY SAVIOR!

Coco then pulled down her shades just a bit so to see the group. She glared when her eyes hovered over Yang and Weiss. "Come on… let's go to my table," she lightly whispered so that I was the only one to hear.

"Well as much as I love to chat, I got places to be and so does _Jaune_." Coco made sure to put emphasizes on my name as she looked at Yang and Weiss. Man, Coco does not give two shits about who she messes with.

Coco then let go of me and grabbed my wrist and proceeded to drag me to her table. "Thank you so much," I said unevenly. Who knew I was holding in my breath. But I gotta say, some of it was worth it because their faces were priceless!

"No problem Jaune, but you gotta do something about it. I know you said you wanted us to stay away from your problem but… this… this is going to get out of hand one day and… we may not be there when it happens," she said worriedly. She looked over her shoulder and a face of worry decorated her face.

Man I feel like and asshole right now. "I'm sorry…" was my only reply.

"It's alright… I mean, not the situation but… you get it," she says as we make our way to the table.

"Hello Jaune," said Velvet with a smile on her face.

"Hello," said Yatsu.

"Hey," replied Fox.

"Hi everyone, it's so good to see you all again," I say with glee.

"The feeling is mutual," replied the giant of the group.

"Same," replied Fox.

"Sooo Jaune, how's it been? I haven't heard from you since last year," said Velvet. Did I mention how cute her bunny ear are? Because they are! Without a doubt.

"Oh… sorry, I've just been catching up with school work and also finding a career path for myself," I say giving a sheepish smile.

"Oh, so what did you choose for your major?" asked Velvet, interested in the topic.

"Art," I said. Everyone in the table gave me questionable looks.

"Wait what? I thought you said you wanted to do Criminal Justice, what happened to that?" questioned Coco.

"My parents happened… they… told me that the job wasn't safe for me… that I would get hurt, or worse killed," I say trying not to sound sad about it. At this point I looked down at the table. I sighed. "And before you ask, yes, I have tried to convince them to let me do it but their answer was still no."

[Silence]

"My dad said I should never play hero… it's only gonna get me killed on the long run," was my last response.

"You know in a way… he's right," Coco replied. I looked up to see Coco staring outside the window before facing me. "But playing hero isn't the only thing that is dangerous. A simple walk in the park can turn into a war zone between gangs. A simple crossing on the road can become a car accident." She put a hand on my shoulder and gave me a small smile. "It's dangerous everywhere, regardless of where you are. But saving life while today or tomorrow can be your last… that… is a bad ass way of going down in my book."

Wow. Didn't think Coco would be so… sagacious.

"I also agree with Coco's words, although the dying part, not so much," said Yatsu. "But overall, one cannot accomplish something without sacrificing another thing in return, it is the way this world works."

"Thanks guys, that… that means a lot to me," I say.

"No problem," said Fox.

"You asshole, you didn't even say anything!" exclaimed Coco.

"Don't need to," he calmly replied.

"Well thanks again," I say. "Thanks Coco for the save, I owe you one."

"You bet your ass you do!" she yelled.

"Well Jaune, I hope you find a career choice and if you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out to one of us," Velvet said. She walked around the table and wrapped me in a hug. I too wrapped my arms around her and hugged back. As soon as we let go I start making my way to the doors. I turn around to wave them goodbye to which they returned the gesture.

"Okay then, three more classes to go," I say with a bit more confidence.

* * *

School was a long day. As soon as my last class ended, I immediately got up and went straight home. Luckily there was not homework assigned so that was a win.

I make my way through the streets of Vale once again. People smiling and laughing. Kids walking alongside their parents. Shops with people coming and going. The whole city was lively.

I make my way north of the city and straight to my house. I walked up my doorstep, unlock the door, and made my way inside.

"Oh… Jaune, your back!" said my mother as she peeked her head out from out the kitchen.

"Yeah, oh… uh, is dad home?" I asked a bit worriedly.

"No, not yet… he called earlier, said there was a meeting at the station," Juniper replied while cooking.

'YES!' I mentally screamed. "Alright then I'll just head to my room, I feel a bit worn out so I'll just go to sleep then," I yell making my way upstairs.

"Wait, aren't you hungry at least?" she yelled.

"No-," I tried to say but my stomach reminded me that I didn't get to eat the whole day because of certain people. "Uh… yeah I'll be there in a bit!" I yelled as I started to leave my stuff in my room.

"Okay," she yelled back.

'Hopefully tomorrow is much better than today,' I though as I made my way down the stairs.

* * *

**Well that concludes Chapter 2. So yes, Yang, Weiss, and CRDL are Jaune's bullies. Blake, Nora, and Ren seems to be more on the sidelines than actually tormenting Jaune. There is a certain reason for Yang and Weiss' attitude towards Jaune which will be revealed way later in the story. They are not mean just for no reason. Pyrrha in this case had fame get into her head. Not by much but slightly. Let me know if interactions should be longer or just any advice.**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed. I would also appreciate more advice on my writing if any would be nice enough to let me know! Until the next chapter of Liberators!**

**Thanlok out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again everyone. Wow, I can't believe I have likes and follows! This is a new experience. Thank you again and now time to get the show on the road. Things are about to get a little bit hectic around Vale, still not under attack but… shits gonna go down.**

**Well then, I will leave you guys to it! Enjoy!**

* * *

(100 miles off the coast of Vale)

"Are things ready or how longer do we have to wait Dr?" said a tall slim figure with a quite noticeable mustache. The man look to be in his forties or fifties. Short hair slightly grey on the sides. He wore a black double breasted coat with a high collar. He stood atop the ship with his hands behind his back, looking into the sea in the direction of his destination. Vale.

"Impatient aren't we, General Watts?" replied a man with a white lab coat smeared in fresh blood. His hair was completely white, including his beard. His left eye gave a red glow and so did his cybernetic arm. The man looked as if he was insane. And insane he was.

"Please, I'm not impatient like Tyrian… I am merely wondering if your "subjects" are ready to use, Merlot," Watts responded.

"Despite the experiments going magnificently, they won't be ready until we have taken over Vale. We still have enough soldiers to take over Vale though… hehe, and not to mention those Atlesian Knight blueprints you stole… quite the machine if you put it to good use," Merlot said with a huge evil grin on his face.

"You don't mind if I tweak them a bit, don't you?" he asked impatiently.

Watts continued to stare out into the dark waters that reflected the shattered moon beautifully across the ocean. "Do what you must to insure the capture of Vale," Watts said. "We will attack one day from now, do you think you can finish up by then."

"Ha… I can finish it by the end of day if needed," he replied offended.

"Very well, I will contact Tyrian and have him on stand-by with the White Fang," Watts said turning around and making his way back inside the ship.

"Yes, and I will make sure to have our toys armed and ready," Merlot then followed after Watts back inside the ship. But before he went back inside, he looked behind the ship he was on to see hundreds of ships. Each one with more than 5,000 or 6,000 soldiers inside. Not including the Atlesian Knights at his disposal. "They won't know what hits them until it's too late," he said laughing to himself at the thought of Vale crushed under his feet. He spread his arms wide and looked up to the sky. "This world must evolve, it is time to form a new generation, a new world that shall rise from the ashes of the old. And I will be the one to change it."

* * *

_Vale, North District, Time: 7:50 a.m. _(One day Until Disaster)

"Ugh… what time is it," I groaned waking up to see the time. "Damn it, it's almost time to get up," I said as I lazily made sure to turn off my alarm. I stayed laying down for a few more minutes but decided to start getting up in fear of falling asleep again.

"Maybe I'll keep the blinds closed this time," I said making my way to the restroom to freshen up.

As I brush my teeth, I hear the distant sound of cooking and smell of bacon. After finishing up in the restroom, I start to get a new pair of clothes. Black jeans with a grey jacket over a white shirt. My hair was messy as always but it didn't matter to me. After getting dressed, I made my way downstairs.

"Hey mom, whatcha making?" I questioned as I got near her and looked over her shoulder to see what she was making.

"Oh you know, just Coral's favorite… bacon, eggs, and hash browns," Juniper replied without taking her eyes of the pan.

"Oh so you can make her favorite but not mine?" I said accusingly with a smile.

"Quiet… go set the table," she ordered with her spatula pointing at the table. As soon as I walk away, I can see her shakes her head sideways with a smile.

As I set up the table, I hear footsteps coming down the stairs. I assume it would be Coral since it is her favorite breakfast but sadly it was someone else. Someone I did not want to talk to at the moment.

Standing a few inches taller than Jaune and quite the look alike. The appearance was that of probably an older Jaune but with more muscle and a nice stubble that decorated his face. Nicholas Arc. He wore a plain white shirt and black shorts at the moment. 'Ah shit, here we go again.'

Wait… Never mind.

"Dad," I said.

"Jaune," he said with a nod as he made his way to the table, pull out one of the chairs and sat down. Even as I was still fixing up the table, I can feel his eyes on me. "So what did you chose as your major, Jaune?" he asked.

Yup. Straight to the point. That's my dad.

"I'm still deciding," I said.

"You're going to have to decide quickly, because time is gonna fly fast and you will run out of your basic classes." Nicholas replied.

"Well maybe if you agreed to my first choice then we wouldn't have this problem," I shot back. '… crap, shouldn't have said that,' mentally slapping myself for the slip-up.

"Jaune, we've talked about this. Being a police officer comes with risks, risks that can ultimately end your life in an instant. One wrong move and you're done. Gone." He shot back. "I know how much you want this, but understand we are looking out for you. I don't want to find out that my son died on the job. How do you think we would all feel hearing that, how do you think I would feel if I had to explain to your mother and sisters that you died, Jaune." Nicholas said solemnly.

'Damn it,' I growled mentally. 'I hate this guilt tripping shit.'

"Da-," I tried to say only to be interrupted.

"No Jaune, it is final… I'm sorry." He said. "Playing hero is only going to get you killed, Jaune."

'DAMN IT!' I wanted to just scream. Scream and tell him that I hate him. But… I'm sure I would regret that. I don't have guts. I can't do anything besides screw either myself or everything I try to do right.

My whole life has been a screw up. I have people who hate me for no FUCKING reason. I have parents that don't want me to follow my dream. I have sisters who turn a blind eye to my situation. I… I… I can't… I can't do this anymore. I just want to escape. I just want to be free. 'DAMN IT!'

I stay there with my eyes closed. My mind going through a disarray of emotions. I just don't know what to feel at the moment. I opened my eyes and looked up to the ceiling. I can feel my eyes stinging, waiting to break loose. I gave a long sigh and looked back down. I don't think I'm hungry anymore at this point.

"I'm just gonna head to school now," I said quickly making my way to the doors.

"Jaune, where are you going? You haven't eaten!" my mom yelled, worried about my well being.

"Not hungry," was my only reply before making my way out.

"Jaune!" I can hear my dad shout but I'm too mad to even turn around and walk back. I just want to go to school. Anywhere but here.

My chest became a bit tight as I made my way to Beacon. Hopefully. Just hopefully things can be just a bit better. Please.

* * *

Life officially hates me. I'm getting tired of this shit.

"Hey vomit boy," shouted Yang when she spotted me. I. Am. Not. In. The. Mood. To deal with this bitch.

I quickly tried to walk faster, trying to avoid her entirely. I felt a hand grab my shoulder. Without even turning I already knew who it was. "What do you want Yang," I said sharply. I'm too pissed to even comprehend my current situation that could end up with my ass kicked.

"Oh? Since when did _vomit boy_ grow some balls?" Yang said with a hint of anger in her tone. She grabbed my collar and dragged me a bit down to her eye level. I made sure not to give her the satisfaction of watching me cower. Instead I matched a glare of my own.

"Don't know, but I'll ask again. What do you want," I shot back with a growl.

"Do you want to get your ass kicked again, _vomit boy_?" Yang whispered into my ear with anger laced in her words.

"At this point, I don't care." I whispered back with a hint of anger. "So yo-."

"What is going on here?" questioned the new arrival. I turned to see a blonde woman with emerald eyes and glasses. She wore a white blouse and black skirt that displayed all of her curves. Leggings that covered her legs with black heels. Her hair was tied into a bun with a bit of it twirling on the right side of her face. The one and only. Glynda Goodwitch.

We both stare at Ms. Goodwitch, not knowing how to respond. Yang broke the ice.

"Tch, whatever. I'm out." She said as she made her way to class. I can tell by the way her fists were opening and closing that she really wanted to kick my ass.

I stood there not knowing what to do next. Should I head to class? I am not in the mood to see Cardin either. Before I can make a move, Goodwitch spoke.

"I advise that you do not provoke anymore students… Is that clear?" she said with a piercing gaze. Yup. She scares me more than Yang.

"Y-yes Ma'am," I said nervously. I turned around and walk to wherever I can relax.

"Tell Juniper I said hello for me… have a nice day Mr. Arc." She said as she turned around and walked away. The echo of heels fading with time until there was only the sound of the air rustling the trees. 'She knows my mom?' I mentally questioned.

"Well at least it didn't get worse," I sighed and continued to walk around the campus.

* * *

I've already missed most of my afternoon classes just roaming around. Who knew that time flies so fast when you want to avoid everything. Without realizing, I was back at the entrance of the school. Maybe I should go already.

Before I can even make my way out of Beacon.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class, Mr. Arc?" I turned around the see a grey haired man with glasses. He wore a dark green suit with slacks to match. The most noticeable things about his appearance was his cane that he had with him. Headmaster Ozpin.

"Um…," was all I said. He chuckled at my horrible attempt to come up with a reason.

"So… may I ask why you are not in class, Mr. Arc," he said as he took a sip from his coffee mug.

"I… I just didn't want to deal with some people at the moment." I said. "I'm still thinking about what to do. I feel as if I don't have my future planned out. So many things are running through my head right now. I… I just don't know how much more I can take." I had my head down by the time I finished.

"Well then, what is it that you seek?" replied Ozpin. We both then decided to sit on a nearby bench overlooking most of the courtyard.

"I want to help people, I was thinking of joining my dad in the Vale police department, but… he said no. He said that I'll only get myself killed." I don't know why but venting out to a complete stranger felt more relaxing. I understand telling a friend, but friends tell you what you want to hear. A stranger gives their opinion, whether you want to hear it or not.

"Hmm," Ozpin was left in thought for a moment. "Tell me Jaune... is it alright if I call you Jaune?" I nodded. "You wish to help people, am I correct." I nodded again. "If you truly wish to help people… then you must first start with helping yourself, Jaune."

My face shifted from understanding to confusion. What did he mean by helping myself first?

"I can tell that you blame yourself for everything. Your life. Your imperfections. But one must embrace these imperfections and find a way to adapt. To strive. To succeed." He said. "I myself was once like that too, I felt lost… with no sense of purpose. I too wanted to help others, but I could not because… I was the one holding myself back. One thing you must understand is that there will always be things that will stop you, but in reality, those things cannot stop you. The only things stopping _you_ is _you_."

I looked at him with wide eyes. How did he know so much about me in such little time?

"So… what should I do?" I questioned.

He stood up and looked at the highest point of Beacon. "Find out who you want to be… not what others want you to be." He said with a small smile. "Trust me… you have many open doors while you are still young. It's about taking it that matters. Well then I'll leave you to yourself, don't want Glynda to berate me for not following my duties." He said with a sheepish smile. I chuckled at the thought of Goodwitch putting Ozpin in the corner. Before he began walking, I made sure to give him my thanks.

"Thank you. For listening," I said.

He slightly turned and gave me a small smile. "It is my job to look out for students in need of assistance. Not just as my job but also encourage a new generation." He said and then walked back to Beacon.

'I really needed that talk.' Today was mentally exhausting. The sun is about to start setting and the breeze has been picking up lately.

Time to head on home.

* * *

I arrived home to find nobody in the living room. Huh. That was weird. I then heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Hey Jaune, where did you run off to in the morning." Asked Coral. "You missed breakfast."

"I just needed some time to think, that's all. Where's mom and dad?" I asked.

"Mom is upstairs sleeping and dad was called in for work." She said.

"Well I'm just gonna head to my room now, I'll probably not come out till tomorrow but either way, goodnight." I said making my way upstairs.

"It's still six in the afternoon… whatever, goodnight dork!" she screamed from downstairs. I chuckled a bit as I enter my room. I set my things down and change to more comfortable clothes. Then I jumped into the safety of my bed. I rolled myself into a burrito because why not.

With the little space I had I reached for my scroll. I checked my messages to see if anyone asked where I was since I didn't go to class. Nope. None. Seems Velvet and the rest have been busy. What a bummer. I decided to scroll around social media and found and interesting article. "White Fang numbers diminish drastically?" I said slowly. Huh. That's strange. Well none of my business, I should get some sleep.

I then turn my scroll off and comfortably fell asleep.

* * *

(100 miles off the coast of Vale)

"Tyrian, is your side in position?" Watts asked sitting down on his chair. The room was dark and the only light was coming from the huge screen that displayed on the wall. Their screens obscured with chess pieces instead of in flesh and only one was in session with Watts.

"Hehehe, you could say that." Answered Tyrian through the screen with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Are you in position or not?" question Watts, somewhat impatiently.

"Ugh, yes… the White Fang are in position, sadly the guards have been made into works of art," he said solemnly before crackling in laughter.

"Very well, we attack tomorrow morning. They will wake only to be put back to sleep." Watts said. "Merlot, shut off all connections."

Merlot who has been standing by was delighted at the order he has received. "Why it would be an honor," he said bowing. He then proceeded to his terminal. With a few codes and connections he was ready. "Well then time to get the show on the road." He smiled evilly. He then pressed the green button that would decide the fate of Vale.

All communications via web and satellite has been shut down on all of Remnant.

* * *

**That's it for chapter 3 everyone. We've got new faces coming in to the fray. Just one or two more chapters before shit starts going down all around Vale. Or maybe the next one. Well you will find out eventually. And yay, more likes and follows. Well then, till next time.**

**Thanlok out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again everyone, sorry I took a bit longer writing this chapter out. I was busy working and Mother's Day was hell. My legs hurt so much but luckily my hands do not. Yay! Well anyways, thank you for still following along this story. Hope that most of you are enjoying this. Oh and another thing to mention before people ask about it.**

**I have no intention of leaving out important details for example the White Fang's motives and certain characters that will be coming out during the story. I will explain these things along the story, but if you think I need to mention these before or need to clarify so that others can understand, let me know. Thank you again and enjoy!**

**Oh and another thing! I don't know how music things work, all I know is that they say to play the music at a certain part. I'm gonna put one just to see how it goes. I was actually listening to the music while writing the part. So I hope you enjoy! If it doesn't work out let me know.**

* * *

(1 Hour until Disaster)

"Mmhhh, ugh," I woke up stirring. "What time is it?" I looked over to my clock the see that it was 7:35. I don't want to go to school anymore. I hate waking up early. As I begin to wake up I decided to check my scroll for any notification.

"Huh… no service… or internet!" I exclaimed. Well this sucks even more. "Ugh, can this day get any worse."

Oh how I would regret those words.

I then started to get up and dress. After getting dressed I made my way down stairs to see my mother and father awake. Seems like they are aware of what is happening right now considering that my dad was getting a little bit worried.

"Um why don't we have internet?" I questioned.

"It's not just us, the neighbors, the block, the whole city is probably having the same problem," my father responded with a worried tone.

"What? So is it like a media or communication outage or something?" I said trying not to sound like I was panicking. But panicking I was.

"Your father is still unsure, but at the moment we don't know," Juniper said with a bit of nervousness in her voice. Without much thinking, I can already tell that this situation was far from normal. There was something in the back of my head that was telling me that things were going to take a turn for the worst.

Before I can get any words out of my mouth, there were footsteps coming down the stairs in a fast pace.

"Uh, what is going?" questioned Coral. Alongside her stood Amber. "Yeah, why don't we have internet or service," said Amber. They don't seem that bothered knowing that they are still unaware that all of the entire neighborhood is completely disconnected.

"We still don't know but I am going to be headed to the department to get a better understanding of the situation. I want all of you to be careful. Since there is no signal, there is no communication." Nicholas said as he looked at each of us.

"Probably something happened with the CCT tower and are probably having a crisis in the meantime." I said trying to ease the situation at hand. "We'll probably be good before tonight."

"Well let's hope it is," Juniper said slowly making her way to the kitchen. Seems like this is something that doesn't happen quite often.

"I'll just head on to school now, I'll be back later" I said making my way to the door. This situation is already weird as it is and hopefully. This time. School wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

As I make my way to school and through the city, I can see traffic and people screaming to go faster. There were others with their scrolls in their hands, trying to find out just what is going on. Other than that everything seemed okay.

So far everything has been good for the past hour. I said hi to Velvet and the others at the front. Didn't see Yang, Weiss, or Cardin. So far things have been going good.

"Man I should buy a scratch ticket just to see how long my luck lasts," I said jokingly. I looked up to the sky to see clouds hovering over vale and bits of light passing through the gaps. In all honesty everything looked beautiful. It was a nice day to actually be outside.

I breathe in the air and then let out a long exhale… wait a minute. Shit! I forgot my backpack! My god, now I feel stupid. Guess I'm going to have to miss the first class. Damn.

I quickly made my way out of Beacon and head back home. As I was walking, traffic has seemed to calm down so that's good. Although the signal is still out so that's a bummer. I looked across the street to see a few closed shops. 'Huh, seems that they rather wait until the signal is back up,' I though. Without realizing where I was going I bumped into someone. "Woah, sorry abo-," my whole body froze in an instant. Shit.

"No, it's okay I wasn't looki-," surprised lilac eyes stared back into mine. Her expression went from surprised to anger in an instant. Alongside her were her very own friends. Schnee, Nikos, Belladonna, Ren, and Valkyrie.

Next time I should just keep my damn mouth shut.

"Ugh, not you again," replied the ice queen.

Before I can even comment on it, I was grabbed by the collar and dragged down to meet Yang's eye level. "You have a lot of nerve pulling that shit yesterday."

On instinct I grabbed her wrist and shook her hand off my shirt. It's about time I did something about this, even if my ass is gonna get handed to me later. "Look Xiao Long, I really am getting tired or this. If the only thing you are going to do is kick my ass every time you see me… then I pity you," I said with a hint of anger in my voice. Yang stared at me with wide eyes. Her friends on the other hand had a look of nervousness from the attention that Yang and I were getting. But I didn't care a single bit. "I pity you because you literally have nothing else to do besides torment me… and for what?"

At first she was processing what she heard and moments later her anger displayed itself all over her face. She attempted to grab me again but I caught her wrist.

I may look like a noodle but I am far from being as physically incapable as a noodle. But that did not excuse the fact that she has kicked asses that were stronger, taller, and bulkier than me.

"You bastard!" Yang seethed through her teeth. I know for a fact that she wanted to kick my ass, but in a public area? Yeah. I win this round.

"I feel that this is getting out of hand, don't you agree?" said the newcomer. Lie Ren. He had a hand on Yang's shoulder and was looking at me with a face of concern. So he does talk.

"I agree… but that all depends on Yang." I replied. Yang was angry. Ren pulled a bit on her shoulder to tell her to let it go. It seems the others are also thinking the same way.

"Yang, I don't think we should waste our time with… him," Blake said as she looked at me up and down. Oh so now she's taking notice of my existence. "And also I would like to go to Tukson's, I want to pick up my book. Don't want to waste our day on something less important."

I take it back. She does not notice.

"I agree," huffed the Schnee.

Yang was looking to me and then to them, contemplating whether she kills me now or the next time that we see each other again. Fortunately, she decided to back down. "Next time I see you… I'll kick your ass," she said as she bumped shoulders as she passed by me. The others followed her lead. As they passed me I can see various expressions ranging from pity, disgust, to uncaring.

As soon as they finally left me alone I let out a huge breath. "Holy shit… okay I am not risking it next time," I said as I continue making my way back home.

* * *

(20 miles off the coast of Vale)

"Are we ready, Doctor," said Watts as he looked to the side to see Dr. Merlot.

"We are, now all we need is a diversion to sneak our way in without detection and attack from the rear," Merlot said. "Is the White Fang ready?"

"Hmm… Is the White Fang ready, Tyrian? Watts said as he looked to the screen lit in the dark room.

There was silence for just a moment.

"Why… they have been ready since the day before, eager if I say so myself," Tyrian said giggling evilly at the end.

"Then proceed with the attack," Watts ordered.

"Certainly," he said. Before Tyrian can cut the call, Watts stopped him.

"And Tyrian… kill to your hearts content," said Watts.

There was silence until giggling was heard. And then laughter. Then the scariest maniacal laugh heard. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, AS YOU WISH THEN!" was all that was heard until the line cut off.

"If there is anyone that can easily get their hands dirty… it would be him." Watts said.

"He's not the only one. As soon as we capture Vale I will continue my research. Oh and another thing," Watts turned to the side to see what else the doctor wanted. "Save me some of the people for use. I want to see what this substance can do to a human being." Merlot said as he held a flask of pure black liquid.

"Do you think they will turn into those animals you tested on?" questioned Merlot.

"… Well… one way to find out," smiled Merlot as he held the flask in his hand.

* * *

"Crap, I am so gonna miss my first class!" I said as I started jogging through the streets of Vale to my house. Before I can go any further I spotted blonde hair. Luckily it was not Yang. Again. Instead it was my sister Amber, carrying my backpack. 'Oh man, hope she's not pissed off.'

As soon as Amber spotted me making my way to her, she frowned and started stomping her way in my direction. 'Yup, she is pissed.'

"Mom literally made me look for you!" Amber said throwing my backpack at my face. Ouch. "Be glad I didn't go to Beacon to find you because if I did… you don't want to know!"

"Alright, I'm sorry… and thanks," I say lamely with a sheepish smile on my face. She looked at me and turned away pouting. Although my family can be hard to deal with at times… I still love them.

"I better get something good as a way to make it up, don't you think?" she said with a smug grin.

"Fine, but later I have to head back to scho-," I said but stopped as I heard something weird. I heard a whistle like noise. It started small until it became really loud. Just what is that noi-

[BOOM] **(Play song: A beautiful song (Simone))**

The explosion was far from Amber and I but that didn't mean that the force of impact stopped from pushing us to the ground. A car about a block away was nothing more than a messed up vehicle on fire. I started to get up confused. The ringing in my ears was all I could hear. The shouts around were unheard as the ringing continued. 'What the hell?' I thought. Wait.

"AMBER!"

I looked around and then spotted her a few feet away trying to get up. I run over to her and help her up to her feet. I looked at her to see confusion that quickly shifted to terror. Her eyes started to water. Shit! What do I do!

My ears started to come back to me and I came back to screams filling the air. I can hear the faint sound of shooting in the distance followed by more explosions. I looked around the see if others were okay. I was wrong. The image will forever haunt my dreams as I looked at the body of a little girl with lifeless eyes in the distance. I didn't need to be a genius to know what that meant.

She was dead.

I quickly look back to Amber. She was shaking. I grabbed both of her arms to try and calm her down. "Amber, look at me!" I said in desperation. She was still looking somewhere else. I followed her line of sight to see more bodies. Shit! I quickly got in front of her view. "Amber! Look at me!" I yelled. That seemed to snap her out. She looked at me as tears streamed down her eyes. The screams of the people was just making the situation worse. "We need to get out of here! Okay!"

Without letting her say anything I grabbed her by the wrist and started running home. It's a good thing our house is a bit farther than where I hear the gunshots.

Just what the hell is going on!? People were running wherever they could! Damn it! We need to get home to find mom! I looked back to see how Amber was doing. She had her head down and most likely crying. I looked back forward and to my right I saw black smoke rising. A lot of black smoke. Without realizing, I bumped into someone.

Both of us fell to the ground. The man frantically got back up and quickly picked me up. Before he can run I stopped him. "Just what the hell is going on!?" I screamed trying to drown out the screams of others.

"The White Fang are killing everyone on sight!" he screamed. "Even their own… If I were you I would get to the docks! They've already blocked all access to Vacuo territory! The only way we can get out is by ship!" he said before running off again.

How the hell did this happen!?

"Jaune!?" Amber said with a crack in her voice. I quickly turned around to face her only to see her pointing off to the right. My blood froze.

White Fang.

"Amber, quickly!" I yelled as I grabbed her arm and continued to head to the house. Luckily we were still far from the White Fang but still, it wasn't safe.

At this point her tears were falling. We quickly made a turn and saw the house with the door open. Shit, don't tell me! We quickly made it inside and found our dad readying a weapon with Coral and my mother at the side.

As soon as our mother saw us she broke in tears. "JAUNE, AMBER!" she screamed. She crushed us both in a hug. Amber recuperated the hug with just as much strength and broke down crying. Coral was also crying at this point, relieved we made it.

"Dad!" I yelled making my way to him. I was still out of breath but just enough to tell him what was going on. "It's the White Fang… they are attacking Vale!"

"I know! They started attacking as soon as almost all of the VPD were at the station. Luckily I was late and quickly made it back home." He said pumping his shotgun.

"Where are we even going!?" cried Coral.

That's right, where are we going… wait.

"The docks!" I yelled. They all turned to me. "A man told me that they cut off all routes to Vacuo. The only way we can get out is by ship!"

"And you trust his word?" My dad asked.

"At this point… anything works for me." I said. We stood there in silence for a bit until an explosion was heard nearby. We all made our way outside to see the black smoke getting closer and so were the shouts of others.

"Damn it… fine, to the docks! Just to make things clear! Everyone sticks together!" Nicholas said looking at all of us. We nodded. "Good, let's go!"

And in to the fire we went.

* * *

Vale was a complete disaster. Lifeless bodies everywhere. Fires spreading into the buildings. Cars burning what remained of the passengers and dark smoke covering the sky. We didn't stop for anything, all we did was run.

As we kept running I can hear the faint sounds of screaming getting closer. We stopped as soon as my dad stopped. We were going to turn to the right but unfortunately, there were White Fang. My dad took a glance only to see the White Fang members shoot at the captured. As much as my father wanted to save them… we came first. "Okay… while they are distracted, we run to the other side of the street. Understand?" Nicholas said making sure everyone heard. Amber was shaking but nonetheless nodded. "Okay… remember to be quiet."

While they were shooting at the captured, we quickly started making our way to the other side of the street. My whole body was tense. It was just waiting for the moment that we were caught. I felt as if I didn't have room to breathe.

Despite making it across without detection. It still made us nervous. Just what the hell was their motive!

"Around the block, it should be a straight path to the docks!" he said. As soon as we turn the corner we were faced with two White Fang member. Both parties in shock by the abrupt meeting until the two quickly raised their guns. My father was luckily faster and shot the first one. The second one pulled the trigger put my father lifted the gun into the air to make sure it hurt no one. He then swiped under his leg and brought him down on his back. My father quickly grabbed the gun and pushed it to his neck, intending to choke him to death.

I didn't know what to do. I quickly looked at the gun the first one had and quickly went to grab it. I saw my father struggling until the White Fang member got his right leg in and kicked him off. He got up and aimed the gun at my father.

No.

This can't be happening.

Everything became slow. My heart was beating so fast I could hear it. The horror look on my mother and sisters' faces. The smile in the man's face… the same man that was going to kill my father. My father shut his eyes and brought his arms in front of his face.

[BAM]

My father was confused. He didn't feel anything. He slowly opened his eyes in time to see the White Fang member fall to the ground with a gunshot wound on his back. And behind him was me with the gun raised.

I started to tear up. I was now breathing heavily. I just… I.

I just killed a man.

"Jaune?" my father said trying to get my attention. He quickly got up and hugged me hard. "It's okay… it's okay… you had to Jaune. Look at me." I looked up to see his eyes as I dropped the gun. "You had to because if you didn't… we'd all be dead Jaune. We will deal with this later, now is not the time. You have to stay strong until we get out of here… okay?"

I hiccuped trying to fight back the tears. I nodded wiping the wet from my eyes.

"Okay… let's go, were almost there." He said

We then started to run once again but not before getting an embrace from my mother and sisters telling me that everything was going to be okay.

Just in the distance we can see a large amount of people. As we got closer, we can hear the shouting getting louder. It was chaos. People were pushing each other trying to get in the boats.

"Damn it, follow me and stay close," Nicholas said. We started to slip our way through. Just how are we going to get into a ship at this rate?

"JAUNE!" I heard someone shout my name. I turned around and looked around to see who shouted my name and soon my eyes spotted Coco Adel waving at me. Yup, I'm gonna owe her a lot more.

"Over here! My friend is on the boat and it looks like she's telling us to go over there!" I shouted. We then started to turn around and head to Coco. Even then it was still hard trying to get through a huge amount of people. After constant bumping and pushing, we made it to Coco. Coco immediately ran to us and hugged me hard. "Oh my god, you're okay! And your family too!" she said as she let go.

"Where is Velvet and the rest?" I questioned.

"They are inside the boat tending to some of the injured." She replied.

"When do we leave?" asked Nicholas.

"I heard that as soon as more people get in," she replied solemnly.

I looked out the boat in the distance. I can hear the distant sound of gunfire and explosions. They were getting closer by the second. I looked to see that the docks started to clear up a bit and there were already some people dead on the ground.

They must have been walked on to death by everyone. This is just crazy. I looked a bit further and my face went pale.

Alone was a girl trying to lift a huge piece of debris that had fallen on her mother's legs. Shit! Now the gunshots were getting closer. Come on Jaune, think! 'DO SOMETHING!' I yelled in my head.

And I did.

"JAUNE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING," screamed out my father. My mother and sisters along with Coco looked with disbelief and horror.

"I'LL BE BACK," I yelled back.

I was running past bodies and small pieces of debris. People bumping into me. The gunshots were getting closer as I made my way towards the girl. I was now close enough to see the mother begging her child to leave her. They still haven't noticed me.

"Are you both okay!?" I said. They were frightened at first but calmed down when they saw me.

"PLEASE… PLEASE HELP MOMMY," the little girl cried. The mother and child were both in tears. They didn't know what to do.

"Alright, move aside!" I said making my way to her mother. I looked at her mother's eyes. They were filled with despair, sorrow, but most importantly hope. I then put my hand under the debris and lifted it as hard and as much as I could. This thing was heavy!

Slowly but surely the debris started to go up. The child quickly made her way to her mother to drag her out.

Just hold a bit more! Please! Slowly the large piece of debris started to go down again. Damn it! Before I can give up, there was another force helping me push it back up.

"JAUNE, YOU ARE AN IDIOT… IF THE FANG DON'T KILL YOU YOUR MOTHER WILL FOR PULLING THIS SHIT!" Nicholas yelled as he started to also push the debris. I wanted to laugh but the situation stopped me from doing so.

Slowly the mother was pulled out and had her child in her arms. Her legs though… she was not going to be walking for a few years, that's for sure.

"DON'T WORRY, I'LL CARRY HER… YOU TAKE THE CHILD!" My father screamed as he picked up the woman. I nodded and picked up the crying little girl. We both started to run towards to ship. As I look around, I see that most of the ships started sailing. Even then, people were still trying to get on the very few ships that were left.

My face went pale when I hear a faint whistle sound. SHIT!

[BOOM]

The explosion separated me from my father. Luckily the child was still okay in my arms. I quickly turned around to see White Fang members beginning to set up mortars in the distance.

Oh shit! I quickly got up and ran as fast as I could. At this point the ships, whether people were getting on or not started to sail. Oh no.

I ran faster.

I saw my father climbing up the ramp with the mother in tow. He turned around to see me making my way up the ramp. Almost there. My instincts kicked in and I threw the girls into my dad's arms and jumped off the ramp to avoid the bullets that whizzed past me. I landed in the water.

I can hear the screams of my family even through the water. I reached the surface gasping for air. I quickly made it out of the water and made my way to the docks. I looked to see my family shouting for me. I looked to my right to see another boat about to sail.

"I"LL GET ON THE NEXT ONE." I yell as loud as I can. Before I can turn around and head to the boat. The boat exploded. The light that came from the explosion darkened the sky and soon the wave of heat pushed me back into the water.

No… that… it can't be…

To my horror, people started jumping off the boat and into the water. In just a short amount of time. There were hundreds swimming in the waters. And then…

[BOOM]

The ship exploded into pieces. Metallic debris falling into the water. Hitting those that were unfortunately in the way.

Damn it! I got to get out of here!

I tried to make it back to the docks. Many had the same idea but we stopped swimming to the shore because…

The White Fang were lined up sideways stopping anyone from reaching the docks. Smiles in their faces as they raised their weapons.

If only… if only I didn't save them. Where would I be if I didn't save them? Where woul-

'Playing the hero… is only going to get you killed,' Was all I thought as I swam deeper into the water as bullets sprayed endlessly upon the people.

**(Song finish)**

* * *

**Shit is going to go down! Now what will Jaune do? I wonder… oh yeah… I do know. Now it is time to see how Jaune will be able to handle things on his own without friends and family. Well then I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and drop a review just to know how you guys are enjoying the story. I am currently starting on chapter 5 and I'll see if I can get it published by the end of this week.**

**And another thing. Not all of Jaune's sisters live there with him in Vale. The rest live in Mistral with Saphron. Just in case you ask. And if you ask why… I didn't want to write about nine people trying to escape Vale. Too hard for a beginner like me… I think?**

**Again thank you for following along and I will see you later!**

**Thanlok out!  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello once again! Hope you guys enjoyed the previous chapter! Dang, this has honestly been the most I have written in my life… willingly! But with introductions out of the way, let's continue on where we left off. Jaune is now stuck in a situation that will eventually lead him to face the cruel side of humanity. And in case there was confusion on which ship blew up, it was one that was still in the docks. The other ship with his family made it out in time.**

**And also thank you again for the new followers! That means a lot to me as the more I get, the more I write to make sure that this story becomes interesting and enjoyable to others! Okay, with that out of the way… let's continue the story!**

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**[BOOM]**

The last boat that was to set sail was bombarded with missiles and set the ship on fire. Not even a minute later the ship blew up, sending a huge shock wave that shook the air.

On another ship that had narrowly made it out in time stood a family watching as their only son/brother's chance of escaping has been blown to bits.

"JAUNE!" Juniper screamed as she was being held back by her husband. Coral and Amber were pale. Coco's eyes were wide as she held her mouth. Her shades have fallen low enough to see her eyes. They all stood there in shock as Juniper continued to cry out for her son.

"LET ME GO… GAH… JAUNE!" Juniper cried. Hoping that anyone or anything can just give her son back. She would, without hesitation, have switched places with her son if some god would just answer her prayers. She cried as she looked at the flames and smoke that soon engulfed the sky. Vale was completely on fire. There was no light shining through the dark thick clouds that flew over Vale.

It was a nightmare.

"Jaune…," Juniper said with a low broken voice. Her eyes looked down to the floor and she continued to cry softly. Nicholas embraced her, trying anything he could to calm her down. Nothing was working. He knew that if he were to also break down now… he would go insane. He had to stay strong, not just for Juniper but also his daughters. As much as he wanted to just scream out in anger and in sorrow… he couldn't. Not now.

Nicholas look over to Amber and Coral, only to see that they have also broken down crying. Jaune's friend, Coco, was trying to help the girls but he can see that she was also trying to stay strong. It would be a matter of time before she broke down to.

"Jaune…," Nicholas started, making sure that his voice did not break. "Jaune will find a way… he'll find a way out, I'm sure of it." He said. He started to rub circles around Juniper's back, trying to soothe her. "If Jaune is good at anything… it's thinking five steps ahead of everyone else. I am sure that he will make it out alive. I know it is not looking good from this point of view but I know… I feel… that he is going to make it out. We just have to have faith. Faith in Jaune… because that is all we can do right now."

Everyone looked at Nicholas. They wanted to believe his words. It's not that they didn't believe him but… it would take a miracle from God himself to determine whether Jaune makes it out alive or not. The possibility of surviving a slaughter was completely slim. It was hard to determine the odds of surviving that, but they had no other way of helping him. And so they decided to put their faith in Jaune. As much as the situation screams death, as much as they wanted to help, they decided to put their faith in him. He will make it out… or die trying.

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The sound of gunshots can be heard from below the water. I held my breath for as long as I could trying to swim further down. Bullets whizzed past me, narrowly missing my head and legs. There was absolutely no cover at all. I feared for the moment that I swam in the direction of an incoming bullet. I notice above me that some people stopped swimming. And soon their bodies started to release a faint color of red.

Blood.

Blood started to fill my view of the surface. There was blood continually pouring out of unmoving bodies. It was only a matter of time before I started swimming in a sea of actual blood. The blood started to scatter painting my vision red. As the blood spread in the sea, bullets continue to spray into the water. The screams continued. 'Crap! I'm running out of air!' I tough, trying to hold in my breath just a bit longer.

I can't… hold much longer. I had no choice but to make my way up. As I started to make my way to the surface of the water, there were less and less bullets being fired into the water. I have to quickly make it up to the surface if I don't want to drown.

*Gasp* I reached the surface and started to breath heavily and coughing out what little water slipped into my lungs. I can hear screams loud and clear once I made it to the surface. I opened my eyes to see bodies floating all around me. I wanted to hurl so bad but my main focus was on the thought of surviving. I looked up to see the White Fang members.

They were preparing to shoot again. This time… I might not be so lucky.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" A man shouted making his way to the edge of the harbor. The whole area was silent. Only the sound of bombs going off in the distance were heard.

I was swimming anxiously. Whoever told them to stop just saved our lives.

Or so I thought.

The man approached the edge. He wore a tight black double breasted long sleeve jacket with the ends ending behind his thighs. His neck was covered by the collar of the jacket except for the middle where two buttons were undone. He wore black pants and knee high combat boots with laces covering most of the front. The most noticeable trait overall was his horns that stood out from his red hair. He wore a red cloth over his eyes indicating that he might have a scar or injury.

On his hip he held a long object. Taking a closer look, I can see a hilt and a scabbard. Is that… a sword? Why would he have a sword when there were guns?

"BROTHERS AND SISTERS," He said spreading his arms wide in the air. "NOW… IT IS OUR TIME! LOOK AT HOW LOW THEY HAVE FALLEN! TO FEEL ALL THAT THEY HAVE DONE TO US! WE HAVE BEEN RIDICULED, BEATEN, AND BROKEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN! BUT NOW… NOW WE SHOW THEM WHO THE SUPERIOR RACE TRULY ARE!" He finished screaming as the White Fang members raised their fists high in the air, celebrating.

"GATHER THEM UP…THOSE WHO TRY TO SWIM AWAY WILL BE SHOT!" He shouted. The White Fang members began to shout orders, telling us to make it back up on the harbor. Their guns pointed at us in case we tried to escape or retaliate.

Out of fear, I quickly started to make my way to the harbor, passing by dozens of bodies. Without a doubt, my hair was soaked in salt water and blood. The people that were already on the harbor were pushed down to their knees with their hand behind their head.

As soon as I place my hand on the concrete surface, an arm reached out and dragged me out of the water by my arm. "Get a move on!" the faunus shouted at me. I was then thrown to the grown before I was picked up again. As I was being moved to where the rest were being gathered, I looked to my left to see the man that temporarily stopped the slaughter. He kept looking forward but tilted his head enough to see me. I know that I couldn't see his eyes because of the cloth but without a doubt… he was looking at me.

"Faster you damn human!" The faunus said before kicking my knees. Now I was on my knees with my hands behind my head. 'I don't know what to do… what can I do? Just what are they going to do to us?' I thought, hoping they didn't just round us up to shoot.

"Adam, we have all of the humans rounded up, what do you want to do?" asked one of the White Fang soldiers.

Adam stood there just continuing to look over the bodies that floated in the sea. He took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "We wait for our orders, and in the meantime… put them in cages," he said turning around.

Some of the White Fang grinned at the thought of putting us in cages. Now they would show us how it would feel to be treated like an animal.

Trucks started to come out of the city and stop by the harbor. Great… there were more of them. They started to open up the back of the trucks. There were seats on the sides and slowly they started to push us into the trucks. There were probably a hundred of us but I was sure that there were more that they have already captured.

I was lined up, waiting to be put into the truck. I looked to the sky, hoping to find a ray of hope. Anything to tell me that everything was going to be okay… but nothing happened. It was my turn to board the truck. I climbed up and sat next to other people. I was squished by those next to me. After they finished filling the truck they began to close the doors. Soon darkness followed.

* * *

"It seems that the plan worked. Now let's get the ships ready to land. We'll make do with what is left of the harbor." Said Watts looking at the destroyed city from the top of the deck.

"Very well. I can't wait to test out my beautiful creations. As soon as I perfect the serum, this will definitely push this world in to a new era." Said Merlot. "Although… was it wise to let the ships go? We could have destroyed them from this distance."

"They do not matter to me. What matters is that we build a new order from the ashes of Vale. And I am sure that there are enough _subject's _for you to be play with in Vale," replied Watts.

"That is true. However, what shall we do when the rest of the world finds out about Vale?" asked Merlot.

"What can they do? They wouldn't think of trying to retaliate when they do not know one thing about who they might be up against. Fighting a fight they know they are unsure about is foolish."

"That certainly makes sense. They would all perish before they can even comprehend the amount of power we possess… most certainly my pets can agree." Said Merlot evilly.

"Do not let them out yet. We must first establish a headquarters to make sure that we will be safe from those… _things_. Then… you may do as you wish. But for now… we need a source of raw materials. It is quite fortunate that we have people to do the work for us. Now we must find a possible location in which these materials can be found." Said Watts.

"I'll see if there is any nearby location where we can find dust. Considering what we are carrying, we are going to need a vast amount of dust. Especially if we want to run those Paladins you brought." Said Merlot, walking away.

Watts looked at the fire burning in the distance. Vale was now in complete shambles. There was no way for the world to fight back against them. They have conquered Vale… and soon… the world would be in the palm of his hand.

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**Well… that was certainly interesting. Now it is time for the journey through death, sorrow and pain. How will Jaune be able to cope with the fact that he will most certainly become a slave to these new outsiders? Well that will eventually be found later in the story but as of right now… Jaune is screwed!**

**Next chapter would be the world finding out about Vale. Or maybe it'll take a bit longer but that depends whether the ships get there first or not. But whatever!**

**Thank you all for continuing to read this story and I will keep posting new chapters as I gain more follows! Oh and another heads up… so when I started this story it was simple. I simply just started writing what was on my mind but… I hit a stop. I do know how I want the story to go but I didn't think far ahead and now I got stuck on trying to explain some things. I will post another chapter in about two weeks most, just enough so that I can clearly see where I am going to be taking this story. Maybe I'll take a week but two weeks is just the most I need.**

**I don't want this story to fail so I'll be making sure that the story runs smoothly. And hopefully longer chapters! But that's all from me so I'll see you until next time!**

**Thanlok out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again! Man, this has been a tiring week for me. Well, now I have a bit more of where I want the story to go so… that's good. I just want to let you guys know that the whole slave thing and all is probably going to last another ten or less chapters before we start getting into the action. Yes, there will be fighting scenes.**

**But I first want to establish the situation and the environment that Jaune and other people are in. So please bear with me just a bit more and then we start to get into the most interesting things. Who is involved, the why, and how long will it last.**

**Well that is about it, so without further a due. Enjoy!**

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Darkness. It was all I could see. I can hear whispers passed around. The sensation of the truck traveling through uneven roads. I was scared. Scared for what was to come next. There was absolutely no telling what was going to happen.

Only the worst can come to mind. I don't even have the will to continue to think positively. There had to be some way to get out of this situation. It been probably about an hour or so since they put us in the trucks. My thoughts were interrupted when I felt the truck come to a sharp stop. The momentum pushed me against the others.

I can hear the door opening on the driver's side and soon the faint sound of footsteps were making their way around the truck. Soon the doors opened and I was greeted with sunlight. It hurt a bit since being in the dark too much but as soon as my eyes were slowly getting used the surroundings, my eyes slowly opened wide. The sky now was a grey. Clouds covering the sky as far as the horizon. But my focus was mostly on the once empty plain.

Soldiers. Tents. Trucks. Weapons. Everything that you would need for a war was there. The vast plain was filled with soldiers marching. Some of them setting up tents. Some were carrying crates that were being dropped off by other larger trucks. Others that were far away were training. If I had to guess, it was armed combat. People shouting orders around.

All they wore was black. Black combat boots. Black pants. Black military vests. The masks that they had on were a bit disturbing to say the least. White masks with red outlines in the shapes of demon faces. It was alarming. But the one thing that literally made me shiver were the Atlas technology that they had. Atlesian Knights, along with the Paladins that they had at their disposal. It was frightening.

'How the hell did they get their hands on Atlas tech!?' I mentally screamed. Why would they use the White Fang if they had these with them? My mind came to a halt as soon as I was shoved down by one of the Fang.

"Move it!" he screamed. He then grabbed a fistful of my hair and picked me up off the ground. I closed my eyes shut from the pain as I was lifted back on my feet. "Start getting in line, all of you, one by one!" another yelled. As soon as I was pushed in line, I look back to where we came from. More trucks were coming in through the thick trees of the forest. Probably more prisoners.

It seemed like the line was already long. I was probably going to be standing here for maybe half an hour. I kept looking at the trucks that arrived and started to push out the prisoners.

Prisoners.

Never once in my life did I ever think that I would be using that word in real life. My mind was interrupted when more people were being shoved out the trucks. I was eyeing to see if there was anyone I knew from school. I'm sure Goodwitch and Ozpin made it out. Cardin, I could give a less crap about. Yang and her friends… most likely made it out with Nikos, knowing that her fame probably gave her a fast pass to the boats. Man, just the thought was pissing me off.

On the other hand, I'm glad that my family, Coco, and the rest were able to make it out of Vale. That was one less thing to worry about. If they were caught… I wouldn't even be sane right now.

I continued to look every now and then until I spotted a color of ginger. Next to that mop of hair was another with black hair and a slight magenta highlight. 'No way,' I thought. Without a doubt, as soon as their faces came into my view, I immediately knew who they were.

Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie.

They didn't make it out. Did Yang and the rest make it out? I was thinking of asking them but just the thought of asking them made me a bit angry. Why should I even speak to them when they wouldn't help me in the first place? As my mind was focused on that, I didn't notice that I was holding up the line. Before I can turn to quickly follow the line, I was punched in the face and fell to the ground.

"HEY, DID I SAY TO STOP WALKING. GET THE FUCK UP AND FOLLOW THE LINE HUMAN!" the faunus screamed. There was so much hate at how he said those words. Such malice. I thought that it was impossible for someone to hold so much hate towards another person

I quickly got up and made my way back into the line. My left cheek bone would soon swell up but for now I had other things that were more important than that. I was almost up in line. From what I can see, they were giving out clothes. A black loose shirt and black pants. As soon as people were given the items, they were pointed in a certain direction.

It was now my turn.

The man sitting in the counter with his… mask on, looked me up and down before giving me my clothes. "You will be heading to my right, those over there will instruct you on where you will be placed." He said as he pointed to the right. He then handed me my new clothes. Proof that I am now a prisoner among them.

I make my way to the direction he pointed at and saw many others lined up in rows and columns. Each person holding their new clothes on their arms. There was a stand in front of the crowd with a White Fang soldier on top of it. He was a goat faunus with gray hair combed to the back with his horns slightly curved and pointed backwards. He had glasses, and a grey beard. He wore a black trench coat that covered most of his body. His bright yellow eyes were overlooking the ones who were lined up and the newcomers. White Fang members surrounded us with rifles in their arms. As soon as a few more people arrived and lined up, he cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Today you are no longer free! Today you will become worse than mere livestock! Slaves! Today is the day that you will be robbed of your supposed humanity! You will feel every ounce of pain that we the faunus have endured from you humans! But those among you who are our brethren! If you would like to join us in our cause! Then we will receive you with open arms!" he shouted.

Slowly but surely, some of the faunus in the crowd walked over and joined him on the stand. A total of seven stood by him. Each one slightly terrified but somewhat relieved that they were off the hook. I can hear faint whispers of people damning the faunus but I ignore them.

"Brothers and sisters, thank you for joining us. We are pleased to have more join our cause. You will bring a new generation to this world! One ruled by the faunus!" he shouted. The White Fang troops around us began to cheer. "However!"

"Prove to me… to us… that you are loyal to the Fang and its cause."

He motioned to the other White Fang troops to start selecting people from the crowd. They picked an elderly woman from the corner. They began to walk in between the crowd, choosing. They stopped at a man in his late thirties. Just two rows away from me. My hands were getting sweaty. This situation is not good. Unfortunately, from my right, one of them saw me looking anxious and nervous. They smirked and made their way towards me. I was unaware of this until I heard footsteps stop in front of me. My eyes went wide when I turned to see the faunus grinning. He immediately grabbed me and started to drag me towards the stand.

My heart was pounding. It was beating faster and faster as we were making our way up the steps. As soon as the others were selected, we were placed in front of the faunus that joined them. The White Fang soldiers pushed us down on our knees in front of them.

Each of them were handed a weapon.

My eyes went wide. Tears began to fill my vision. I looked to the people next to me, pleading for mercy. We had no way to defend as they zip tied our hand behind our back. I turn back to the faunus in front of me. It seemed that we weren't the only ones breaking down. They assumed that they would join and be free but they never expected… this. My eyes met his. He was a wolf faunus with grey hair and ears. He looked at me as if he wished there was another way. He slowly raised his gun. His hands clearly shaking. The faunus next to him, the people next to me, the crowd, the man who preached about faunus being superior. They were all waiting for the moment of truth. They were waiting for the bullet to go through my head.

I pleaded with my eyes. I pleaded him to not shoot. I pleaded so hard. He knew what my eyes were saying. He looked to me with almost the exact same eyes. He didn't want to kill anyone. He shut his eyes hard. His finger on the trigger, slowly being pulled back.

This was it. Tears started to fall from my face. Not even one day in this god damn shit hole and I'm already going to die. My family. My friends. That was all that was passing through my mind. I closed my eyes as hard as I can, waiting for the sound of the gun.

…

"I… I can't."

I slowly opened my eyes to see the faunus with the gun lowered, tears staining his face.

"I-I can't kill him. I wo-"

[BAM]

Blood splattered on my face at the sound of the gunshot. The faunus that refused to kill me had a bullet gone through the side of his head. He didn't have the chance to even turn around and face the man. The preacher then kicked me off the stand and I landed hard on my side. I looked to see the faunus' body fall from the stand and land right next to me with his lifeless eyes looking onto mine.

"Traitor," the man said as he brought down the gun to his side. He looked to the rest of the faunus. "Which one of you are also traitors?" he asked as he was raising his gun towards them.

I would not blame them for what happened next. They had no way of surviving if they refused to kill.

And kill is what they had to do.

[BAM][BAM][BAM][BAM][BAM][BAM]

The sound of gunshots rang in the air as more lifeless bodies fell from the stand. The faunus who killed them were crying. Refusing to even look at anyone. They had just taken a life for the first time. There were cries and screams from the crowd but I couldn't even hear them.

I was still on the ground in shock. Tears were endlessly falling from my eyes. I didn't even wail or shout. It all happened to fast. My mind was trying to catch up to what happened. I nearly lost my life today, only for it to be unintentionally be saved.

I looked to the ground just thinking how this was just the beginning. The beginning of something so terrible. The beginning of hell on earth. The beginning of death and destruction. The beginning of…

The beginning of the end.

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**Wow. Jaune is going to have a hard time that's for sure. So are the rest that were introduced in the story and as much as some of you would have like to have Yang and the rest in it, it would have been hard for me to keep track of all the characters. Yang and the others that did not make an appearance made it out, that is for sure. But oh man, that does not mean that they are okay.**

**I am probably going to be writing out longer chapters so that the main focus of the story comes into place a bit quicker. With all that aside, I also have two other stories on my profile page in case you are interested. These stories are still being written out or in this case 'draft' because I want to make sure that I have a plot that moves forward. I have an idea of where I want the stories to go but I am going to focus on this one in the meantime. If you would like for me to at least publish the first chapters for the stories then just leave a comment on what you think of them and if you would like for me to publish them.**

**Well that is about it from me, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and I will see you all later!**

**Thanlok out!**


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